by John Charles
One Breath Brings Death
By
John Charles
Copyright 2015
Smashwords Edition
Copyright and Legal Notice:
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 John Charles. Published by Manifest Vision Publishing. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
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ISBN 978-1-882598-10-6
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Table of Contents
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Message From The Author
Other John Charles Books
Chapter 1
Gillert Taylor kissed his wife of twenty years goodbye at the front door of their townhouse. Briefcase in one hand, keys in the other he walked toward his car. Pressing the keyfob button to unlock the doors, he was greeted, not with the normal chirp, but with an explosion. His car exploded with such intensity that he was thrown ten feet in the air, landing head first against the stone boarder surrounding his neighbor's flowerbed.
Cars on both sides of Taylor's exploded seconds later. The explosions and alarms from nearby cars broke the silence of the morning. The normally quiet neighborhood was awakened as Gillert's eyes closed and darkness fell on him.
*****
As he began the journey from sleep, he felt heaviness on his chest. It felt as if something was pressing him into the bed. His left arm was stiff and difficult to move. His head throbbed.
He gently opened his eyes, wondering the cause for the feelings in his body. Then Aaron remembered. Lying on his left side was the naked body of the guy he picked up the previous night with his head resting on Aaron's chest. His body was draped over Aaron's left arm, his leg over Aaron's, his morning erection pressing into Aaron's side.
His gentle breathing told Aaron he was still sleeping. The blanket had worked its way down exposing most of his upper body. Lying in his arms was a beautiful young man, just the way Aaron liked them. He was petite, muscular rather than skinny, with shaggy brown hair, and brilliant eyes. Eyes that let you know he wanted you, eyes that exposed his lust and his willingness to serve.
Aaron's mind wandered to the previous night. He went to the club to relax after a particularly stressful day. Normally he would dress according to the theme of the evening. Last night, however, Aaron wore jeans and a tight form-fitting shirt that showed off his well-built chest. Aaron was proud of his muscularity. He worked hard to develop his body and he was more than willing to show it off. With no agenda in mind, he approached the bar, bought a local ale and surveyed the room. He spotted several regulars, raised his glass in acknowledgement to the smiles and head nods and continued to survey the room.
There, watching the dance floor was a cute young man. He had been watching several couples who were attempting to outperform the other and had not seen Aaron looking at him. When he turned toward the bar, he spotted Aaron and smiled. That was all it took.
Aaron moved through the groups toward the smiling face, which now maintained contact with him. When he reached his target, Aaron wondered if the beauty in front of him was even legal. Sensing Aaron's curiosity, the young man reached for Aaron's hand, and said, "I see the question in your eyes that I get all the time. You know they card everyone who looks like me. I'm actually twenty two, but most people say I look much younger."
They talked, danced, and flirted for over two hours. Aaron was lost in his deep blue eyes; eyes that said take me, I'm yours for the asking. Justin stood about five foot six, had a hot body that he showed off in his way too tight pants and shirt, leaving nothing to the imagination. He was hot and Aaron wanted him as much as he seemed to want Aaron.
Aaron whispered into Justin's ear, and received a nod in reply. Taking his hand, Aaron led him to the exit, hailed a cab, and brought him home. Aaron's bedsit was small, but clean and neat. Justin didn't seem to notice. As soon as they entered, Justin went to his knees, head down, hands behind his back. When Aaron lifted his chin, Justin looked up and said, "Take me in any way you want. I'm yours tonight." Almost three hours later, both were exhausted and fell asleep.
It was rare that Aaron had an overnight guest. Justin was different and he didn't know why. He felt comfortable; more comfortable than with any of the other hook-ups he had since moving to London from the states a year ago. He liked the feeling of Justin sleeping in his arms and enjoyed the moment.
Aaron let his left hand move down the boy's back, gently caressing the muscles along his spine. His fingers found the channel between his strong solid cheeks and began to explore. As he approached the boy's sensitive spot, he found remnants of last night's coupling and gently used that to enter him. He found Justin's button, massaged and tapped it bringing him out of his slumber.
As Justin moaned and pushed back onto Aaron, he was rewarded with a second finger entering his body. Eyes fluttered open, a smile came to his lips, and he said "Good morning. I could wake to this every day, sir."
Justin reached up, placed a kiss on Aaron's lips as his hand moved down the eight-pack he had slept on. He caressed the striations of muscle as he approached his target. He took Aaron's morning erection in his hand and started to stroke it, hoping to relive one of the many scenes from the previous night.
Aaron continued the kiss, allowing the boy his moment of pleasure, knowing that soon, he would be screaming his lust and desire for more, when his mobile signaled a text had been received. He knew the tone. His lust for Justin disappeared in that second. Frustrated he reached for the phone to be stopped by Justin's hand.
"No, play now, read later," he said holding Aaron's hand to his lips. The boy sucked Aaron's fingers into his mouth sending chills down Aaron's spine. Aaron knew the tone and had to look at the text.
/> On the screen were the words: Important meeting in conference room B in one hour. I have food and coffee.
Aaron let the phone drop to his chest and sighed. He had hoped that the day would start and end with this cute, submissive boy in his bed, but those plans were not to be fulfilled. "I have to go to work. Sorry." He then showed the text to the boy.
Chapter 2
Too early on a Saturday morning, Aaron entered the lobby of Andrews Security. He had no desire to be there, especially after leaving Justin at the front door of his apartment building. They agreed to meet up later that night if Aaron's work permitted him the time. Justin stood on tiptoes, pulled Aaron down and gave him a passionate kiss - a kiss that said more than words could have. He turned and left as Aaron got into the cab.
Aaron was greeted by the smiling dispatcher, who knew the look on his face and didn't hesitate to ask, "You either have a nasty hangover, are pissed that we interrupted your morning sex with some hot guy, or both?"
Aaron felt the blush rise up his face, didn't answer the question, and walked to the side wall that contained the employee mail slots. In his was a bright red envelope, nothing else. He looked at it; saw his name, and the Andrews Security office address. He was puzzled, but before he could open it, the dispatcher said, "That arrived in the morning mail drop, stud. It seems you have another admirer. I'd suggest you put that into your lab, before you go into the conference room. I'm sure you wouldn't want Akerheart or Natalie seeing that in your hand when you walk in."
Aaron got coffee from the pot in the lunchroom then stopped at his lab to drop off the envelope and his laptop, before approaching the conference room. As he entered the door, he saw Akerheart, Natalie, and Hank sitting at the large table in the middle of the room. There, on the table, were pictures. He froze, remembering the last time Hank showed him pictures. His blood chilled, his body almost shut down.
Seeing the terrified look on Aaron's face, Hank immediately understood the problem and said, "It's okay Aaron, there is nothing here that would remind you of Kristoff's ordeal."
Aaron tentatively walked into the room, took a seat between Natalie and Akerheart and looked at Hank avoiding the pictures.
"Yesterday morning, Gillert Taylor's trip to work was interrupted when his car exploded. Fortunately, for him, he clicked his keyfob to open the doors about twenty feet from the car. He was greeted with an explosion that thrust him ten feet into the air. EMTs transported him to hospital, where he was treated for minor cuts, abrasions, and a bump on the head from his neighbor's fence post," said Hank handing pictures to everyone in the room.
"Was anyone else hurt?" asked Aaron looking at the burning cars in one of the pictures. "Was anyone in the other cars? These came from CCTV? Did anyone run the footage prior to this?"
"The cops are doing that right now, but we want your eyes on the footage too. Taylor's neighbors had not left for work yet, so the only thing they lost was their cars, not their lives."
"I'm baffled that the bomber wasted his efforts and didn't kill the victim," said Natalie.
"Maybe he had no intensions of killing anyone with this bomb," said Akerheart as he looked at another picture.
"Then why blow up the car, if he didn't intend to kill the driver or passengers?" asked Natalie.
"As a warning message," said Aaron as he brought the street cams onto the conference room screen. "What is the address and what time did this happen?"
"Quarter past seven, yesterday morning," said Natalie as she watched Aaron's fingers on the keyboard. She was always amazed that he could talk, type, and think with the intensity he showed. It was as if each part of his body had its own brain.
The monitor on the wall showed footage of the street. Taylor's car was visible in the dim morning light. At first, there was no activity. Then a late model vehicle appeared and slowly drove until it reached Taylor's car. Two men, dressed in black with black hats that hid their faces, quickly exited. They took up position on the driver's side of Taylor's car, and seemed to be placing a package beneath the vehicle. One of the two looked toward the house and signaled with a head movement that the other should go back.
The car was quickly driven from the street leaving one person on foot. He walked to the end of the block and waited. The license plates were covered with something, preventing identification.
Aaron fast-forwarded through the video footage as the Andrews team watched the man. He had walked about 500 feet from the parked car, sat on a street bench and waited. At quarter past seven, the door to Gillert Taylor's home opened. As Taylor walked from his home, the man on the park bench pulled something from his pocket. The bomb exploded. Gillert was thrown from the blast.
The man stood and quickly walked from view, as the street became a beehive of activity. No one seemed to notice the stranger as he walked away.
"He did it. He detonated the bomb, not Taylor's keyfob," said Akerheart. "If he wanted Taylor dead, he would have waited until he was inside the car. I agree with Aaron. This was a warning, but why?"
Chapter 3
"That's bizarre. He set the bomb, triggered the explosion, and walked away. He didn't stay long enough to see if Taylor was still alive," said Natalie as she and the Andrews team watched the video a second time.
"It's almost as if he didn't care. He sent the message and left," said Aaron as he fingered the keyboard looking for additional video footage. "I wonder if the car that dropped him off was waiting for him." Aaron continued to search through the CCTV footage to no avail. "The cameras on the surrounding street don't show him leaving Taylor's block. How did he get away unnoticed?"
"It looks like he blended into the early morning pedestrian traffic," said Hank as he opened a new file folder. "You have probably surmised that we have been tasked with providing security for the Taylor family. Aaron, I want you to set up a top-level system for their home. Include cameras, hot buttons in the main rooms, and one in each bedroom, too."
Aaron took notes as Hank rattled off the list of requirements. He knew the drill. Since joining Andrews Security a year prior, he had been involved in several top-level security projects for some of the country's elite residents. Most of the systems he set up were for executives in large companies, government officials, and diplomats whose privacy was paramount.
"Natalie, I'd like you to get as much information as you can on Taylor, his family, friends, and enemies. Also, look into Taylor Pharmacon and see if they have any skeletons in the closet."
"You think this could be business related?" asked Natalie.
"We've seen it before. A company is near the release date of a new product and starts receiving threats allegedly from competitor or activist group."
"Is that what you are thinking, Hank?" asked Aaron.
"From the little we know, Taylor and his company are squeaky clean. Why would someone want to send this type of message?" asked Akerheart looking from Natalie to Hank.
"The local police are investigating the incident, but we are digging deeper. I want to know who we are protecting and why this happened. I am not willing to compromise my staff for someone who might not be what he seems. So let's get busy," said Hank as he got up to leave.
Though Akerheart had no specific assignment, he would work with both Aaron and Natalie. He knew what Hank wanted of him. As Aaron left the room, he could hear Natalie and Akerheart discussing the possibilities for the bombing. Natalie was an experienced profiler and didn't need to prove her skills. She and Akerheart made sure they were on the same page.
Aaron made his way to the lab, where he would set up the equipment for the Taylor project, when he remembered the red envelope. His thoughts ran wild for a minute as he opened the lab door. It sat on his desk calling out to him. He picked it up, looked at the front wondering who sent it. Not seeing a return address, he looked at the back, not finding one there either. He took a letter opener from his desk and neatly sliced the envelope open. Fingers shaking, he slid the card from its confines and was shocked at what he saw.
The front of the card pictured two naked young men, hugging while standing on what appeared to be a pristine beach. The water in the background was deep blue as was the sky. A few clouds broke up the blue above the beach. Both young men were posed in an extremely sexy position that was meant to stimulate the imagination.
Inside the card was a handwritten note.
Aaron,
Ever since I met you in the pub while vetting you for Shaun and MI5, you have been on my mind. I have been obsessed with thoughts of you and how we might become friends. Well actually more than friends.
When Declan told me about the project you and he worked on, my imagination went wild. I have wished I were in Declan's shoes since the day he told me about being naked with you at The Underground.
I realize that I am being quite bold by sending this card to your workplace, but I wanted to make sure you received and opened it. Aaron, I have to see you again. Please call me and give me the privilege of treating you to dinner one night this week.
Respectfully,
Barry
He re-read the card several times thinking back to the night Barry and he shared drinks at the pub. He didn't know Barry was on assignment. He was casual and professional at the same time. Aaron had no idea that Barry was vetting him for MI5. He liked the man and told him he wanted to see him again. That was several months ago and neither had contacted the other until now.
He was looking at the note when Natalie knocked on his open door and walked into his lad. She saw the card, smiled, and sat down without saying a word. Aaron folded the card so the cover was on the bottom, slipped it into the envelope and placed it into his desk drawer.
"I saw the look on your face when you came into the conference room earlier. Are you okay?" she asked. Natalie and Aaron had developed a friendship since he joined the firm. She took it upon herself to be his surrogate mother, friend, and shoulder when necessary.
"Yeah, I saw the pictures and I immediately went back to the day Hank handed me the picture of Kristoff. I saw his beaten face in my mind and was ready to grab the waste bin. I didn't know if my stomach would stay in me. Was it that obvious?"
